Cory Aquino, James Wolfensohn Named 2005 Rockefeller Awardees for Bridging Leadership

Former Philippine President Corazon C. Aquino and former World Bank President James D. Wolfensohn have been conferred the 2005 David Rockefeller Awards for Bridging Leadership by the Synergos Institute, an independent non-profit organization dedicated to the development of effective, sustainable and locally-based solutions to poverty.

The awardees were honored both for their lifelong work and for their more recent accomplishments as “bridging leaders”. Mrs. Aquino was cited for her continuing efforts, as chairperson of the Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. Foundation (BSAF), to empower poor communities in the socio-economic sphere in collaboration with various sectors of Philippine civil society. Mr. Wolfensohn was recognized for successfully carrying out his difficult mission as special envoy for Gaza disengagement for the Quartet principals.

Mark Malloch Brown, Chef de Cabinet to the United Nations Secretary-General, David Rockefeller and John C. Whitehead, chairman of the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation presented the awards during the Synergos Global Philanthropists Circle Annual Meeting November 2 in Brooklyn, New York.

Synergos believes that poverty results from a complex array of causes and conditions and cannot be remedied without the commitment of all key sectors of society—government, business, nonprofit organizations and other major stakeholders. Hence, it puts a premium on a “bridging” style of leadership that focuses on creating and sustaining effective working relationships among key partners and stakeholders. By “bridging” diverse viewpoints among different stakeholders, leaders can spur the development of a common agenda toward resolving social and economic problems.

In her speech, Mrs. Aquino recalled how the challenge of “bridging leadership” was thrust upon her shoulders after the assassination of her husband, Ninoy Aquino, in 1983. From uniting the fragmented political opposition and the silent majority to bring down the Marcos dictatorship, her role shifted to bringing together government and civil society, as well as former insurgents and the military, through the Kabisig and other programs to rebuild and strengthen Philippine democracy under her presidency. Unfortunately, right-wing extremists pushed their own political agenda through a series of coup attempts that stunted the growth of democratic institutions and the economy as well.

After she stepped down as president in 1992, she sought to reinvigorate those institutions through programs supported by the BSAF. These included: initiatives to strengthen the cooperative movement in the Philippines through the BSAF’s Institute for People Power and Development (IPPD) with the support of the Hanns Seidel Foundation (HSF); a curriculum on human rights education for the Philippine Public Safety College and the Philippine National Police developed by the Philippine Normal University with HSF funding; homes and schoolhouses for Mt. Pinatubo lahar flow victims in Pampanga in cooperation with a land donor, a Chinese-Filipino association and the Ayala Foundation; and the Gawad Kalinga social housing program of the Couples for Christ chapter in Tarlac with the help of Senate President Franklin Drilon and the ABS-CBN Foundation.

“Most recently, I have been refocusing my energies on what I deem to be a highly strategic intervention in our continuing effort to fight poverty and to take People Power to a higher level,” Mrs. Aquino said. “I refer to microfinance within a broad anti-poverty strategy that involves NGOs (non-government organizations), banks, the academe, big corporations and foundations, government agencies and millions of micro-entrepreneurs—many of whom we hope to bring to the small and medium enterprise level by themselves or as cooperatives.”

She expressed the hope that she would live to see People Power fulfill its promise of making a dramatic impact on the quality of life of the Filipino people. Explaining her view of bridging leadership, Mrs. Aquino said: “Through the years, I have learned from experience that, ultimately, People Power is about finding and unleashing the leader in each one of us. It is about harnessing the inherent integrity, the sense of compassion, the will to make sacrifices, and the courage to take risks to achieve goals that would serve the common good. Each of us is called to do our share. It is about building little bridges to people who can make a difference in their own lives and the lives of others. But let us not forget—it is also about entrusting ourselves to Almighty God through Prayer Power.”

From a global perspective, Synergos recognizes the fact that the “developed” and the “developing” worlds are both deeply divided and deeply joined. It believes that this divide has to be bridged to build a fairer and more prosperous world. The Institute brings diverse stakeholders—from North and South, from different sectors of society, and from different interest groups, places and backgrounds—together to find common ground to take action to reduce poverty and create more widespread prosperity.

One of its avenues toward this end is Synergos’ annual “University for a Night”, sponsored by J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., which also took place on Nov. 2. The 2005 event brought together 400 people to explore ways in which to overcome present-day challenges, building upon positive connections between individuals, organizations and countries. Mrs. Aquino and Mr. Wolfensohn led the plenary discussion, along with Hafsat Abiola. founder and executive director, of the Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, and Surakiart Sathirathai, deputy prime minister of the Royal Thai Government. The core of the evening focused discussions on 44 specific topics—ranging from health to disaster response, from the role of the UN to the potential of technology—that built upon the opening plenary. This allowed participants from diverse places, backgrounds and interests to learn from each other, to share experiences and ideas, and to make connections that would help address the world’s most pressing problems.

Headquartered in New York, Synergos has staff in Asia, Latin America and Southern Africa who work with partners to mobilize resources and bridge social and economic divides to reduce poverty and increase equity. Its programs build and strengthen community development foundations in Africa, Asia and Latin America, fostering a local culture of philanthropy; bring leading philanthropic families together to deepen the impact of their social investments; and broker partnerships among philanthropists, government, business and citizens, increasing the flow of resources to impoverished communities around the world.